1. What is Doomjobbing?
1. Employees continue to carry out their duties but privately prepare themselves for an organisation that they aspire to join. They remain mentally prepared for their exit.
2. Employees secretly learn new skills and look for another job while staying in their current role.
3. Employees strategically move between different organisations to speed up their career growth.
Option 1 -- Employees continue to carry out their duties but privately prepare themselves for an organisation that they aspire to join. They remain mentally prepared for their exit.
The real question is: Why are people anticipating their exit before they've even had an honest conversation?
When trust erodes -- in communication, transparency and leadership -- uncertainty moves in to fill the space. Inclusion means more than simply creating a sense of belonging; it means creating a sense of trust. People will commit if they can see and believe in a future that isn't simply dependent on payroll.
2. What is Lily Padding?
1. Employees take on short-term assignments within the same company to gain cross-functional experience before seeking a promotion.
2. Professionals actively and strategically move through different roles and organisations rather than wait to climb the ladder over many years within a single workplace.
3. Employees regularly switch between remote and office work to improve work-life balance and productivity.
Option 2 -- Professionals actively and strategically move through different roles and organisations rather than wait to climb the ladder over many years within a single workplace.
The real question is: If your best talent believes they must leave to grow, what are you telling them about the opportunities within your organisation?
Inclusive organisations don't just recruit a diverse talent pool; they clearly illustrate opportunities so that everyone feels there is potential without needing to look elsewhere for advancement.
3. What is Token Maxxing?
1. Employees intentionally build a strong personal brand on social media to increase their visibility at work.
2. Organisations assign high-profile projects to employees solely based on seniority rather than capability.
3. Employees feel they are being highlighted because of their demographic characteristics rather than their individual skills or expertise.
Option 3 -- Employees feel they are being highlighted because of their demographic characteristics rather than their individual skills or expertise.
The real question is: Are organisations truly celebrating diversity or are they tokenising people?
Representation is essential. However, employees are often seeking recognition of their unique abilities and contributions, rather than being used as a symbol to represent a specific group. True inclusion is where individuals are acknowledged and appreciated for their professional value first, before their demographic identity.
4. What is Career Cushioning?
1. Employees accept temporary roles in different departments to prepare for future leadership positions.
2. Employees secretly prepare a backup plan while still being employed, including building new skills, networking or seeking new employment opportunities.
3. Professionals deliberately slow their career progression to achieve better work-life balance.
Option 2 -- Employees secretly prepare a backup plan while still being employed, including building new skills, networking or seeking new employment opportunities.
The real question is: Have organisations mistakenly interpreted retention as commitment?
It is entirely possible for someone to be working for you for many years while actually having checked out mentally much earlier. The most inclusive workplaces are not only asking 'Who is leaving?' but also 'Who has stopped believing that they can still grow here?'
5. What is Task Masking?
1. Employees often appear to be intensely busy and engaged, even if their tasks are of little or no value. This gives an impression of high productivity.
2. Employees deliberately reduce their workload by automating repetitive tasks without informing their managers.
3. Employees prioritise easy tasks over complex projects to maintain consistently high performance ratings.
Option 1 -- Employees often appear to be intensely busy and engaged, even if their tasks are of little or no value. This gives an impression of high productivity.
The real question is: What is your organisation actually incentivising?
When appearing productive becomes more important than creating genuine value, people naturally optimise their behaviours towards appearing productive. This is a symptom of leadership as much as it is of performance.
- Get Ahead